A Possible Dusty Microplasma Source of Mid-Infrared Radiation

Microplasmas have been discussed as novel sources of photons in the ultraviolet to infrared (IR). Recently, the addition of dust to a microplasma has been discussed in various contexts. In this paper, we theoretically investigate thermal radiation from heated dust in microplasmas to explore dusty microplasmas as possible sources of mid-IR (MIR) radiation. We consider grains that are selective absorbers (and, thus, selective emitters) in the MIR. Heating of the dust by impinging plasma and cooling of the dust by conduction and thermal radiation are studied for a range of plasma parameters and dust sizes. Possible applications of such sources may include spectroscopy since many gases absorb strongly in the MIR.